Combined road grading and leveling machine



J. D. LYTTLE AND S. CLARK.

COMBINED ROAD GRADING AND LEVELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, I920.

Patented 001;. n, 1921..

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

J. D. LYTTLE AND S. CLARK.

COMBINED ROAD'GRADING AND LEVELINGMACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-19,1920.

Patented 001;. 11, 1921..

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

1 JAMES DPLY'I'TLE, or rnmv,

Leashes.-

. Z710 allmhom may mmwhich the following is a specification.

' capable of be'ng adjusted *Thislinvention relates to a w ing the and has for a main object the provision of asimplified form of roadgradingand leveling machine according to the requirements of the work to be done and to the topography of is to be drawn. l 7

Another object is to provide in a machine of the character stated runners for support grading and leveling elements for operation for independently mounting and adjusting said elements on said'runners to the ground over which it such an extentas 'may be desired or required.

Afurtherpobject is to provide main and auxiliary runners for mounting the a grading and leveling. elements relatively adjustable for tilting one or the other -side of thema chine in thegrading and leveling operation evenly over; the sur so as to" dischargefthe dirt smoothly and ace of the ground. I Still! another object-is to provide inde-' pendently operable and adjustable grading and; leveling elements mounted between the carryingrunnersoof the machine, saidr'elenients being capable of adjustment to acute angles relative-tosaid runners for facilitate. ingthecutting of theearth and the opera ,tion ofthe machine tea-maximum advan tage. Qther scription progresses. a l

objects will We i have illustrated the principle and shown onepractical embodiment of our in= vention in the accompanying drawings,

forming a part ofqthis 'inventiom'to which iirreference is had; similar characters of reference being employed throughout the specification hereinafter following and in the several views of the drawings N for .indicat in thesame" and likeparts.

. M nsaid drawings; a 501 Figure ljis a bledjmachine; g

Fig. 2 is a plan of thesame; Fig. Bisa front endelevation of 'theisame; F st al levation of thesame;

sideelevation of our assem- AND SOLOMON CLARK,

Specificationof LettersIatent. Application filed January19, 1920." Serial No. 352,605.

and saidrunners in any appear as the de' .j ft is pivotally connected provide combined 0F GRAJSTG-EVILLE, IDAHO.

comfnrnnn Roan ennnnve AND LnvnLINe MACHINE.

I leaned Uct. ii, rear.

ig5 is a fragmentary ad ustable leveling means;

1g. dis a fragmentary sectional elevation at therear end of means for adjusting the auxiliary runners;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9, are details of the hinge connections between the grading and levelmg means.

themachine showing the ur machine includes a pair of like side runners land 2 with the bottom thereof for preventing the wear of the runners, and a plurality of transverse members 4,5, 6 and 7 attached a the upper edges of said runners. pair of like auxiliary runners 8 and 9 'pivotally attached at 10 and 11 to the rear ends of the runners 1 and 2, respectively, and extending substantially rearwardly thereof,

metal strips 3, 3, on

at their ends, and a i the lower and rear portions of said auxiliary runners being slightly tapered, as shown.

' Atransverse shaft12 is journaled in vthe rear ends of longitudinal members 13 and 14 attached to the upper sides of members 4, 5 and 6,'and a lever 15 carried thereon is pivotally attached to an arm 16 carried on thefront end of the runner 8. Theinner .end of shaft 12 carries a hand lever 17, by means of which theinner ends of runners l and2 maybe elevated as indicated in broken quadrant18 is attached lines inFig. 1. "A

to the member 14 of the frame and has notches-therein adapted to be engaged by a locking said lever desired positions latch 19 on lever 17 for within the range of their adjustment.

Alined with shaft 12 is a similar but longer shaft 20, carried in the rear ends of members 21 and 22 of the frame and said with runner 9 bymeans of a lever 23 thereon connected with an: arm24c OIlfSEtldIllllIlBl llhG inner end of shaft 20 having a hand lever2 5 thereon opposite lever '17 and which may be operated together with or lever 17, as occasion may demand. If op erated together with lever 17, the'lever25 may be moved therewith by means of a ring 25., as shown in Fig. 3,. which maybe independ t y of,

slipped downwardly overtheupperends of both levers. J

Near the rear endof the machine we elements composed of members 26 and 27,

levelingv and deflecting 1 V the like, extending through said hinge members and interlocking members on the ends of member 26, as-at 29, shown in Fig. 7. It will be observed the member 27 is substantially shorter than member 26 and adapted to. be hingedly connected thereto by means of the member 31 on the end of mem ber 27. The outer end of member 27 is similarly connected to the inner side of runner 2.by means of members 32 and Members 26 and; 27 are held inalinement diagonally of the machine between the runners 1 and 2 by means of a brace rod 34, having itsendsbent downwardly andinserted in the hinge members 29 and 31 and v in themember 27 on runner 2. 'VVhen used as .aleveler, the :member 27 is adapted to be removed altogether and the free end, of

member 26 connected as described .with runner 2, as shown'vi'nfulllines. l

At the front end of the machine, we provide a gradingelement 35 having ametal cuttinglblade 36 on the front side thereof.

Said grading means-is adapted to float betweenthe runners 1 and 2 and a draft con- I nection is provided therefor by means of a with the grading element by means of rods chain 37 which extends transversely of the machine and through eye bolts or eye bars 38,38, attached to thef-ront ends of the runners land 2 and adaptedto be connected 39 and 40 near opposite ends of member 35.

Saidrods may have hooks on their forward ends for connection v with the chain37 and their rear ends are bent downwardly throughsoc kets 41 on members '41 attached to the rear side of member 35. Thus, the bent portion of said rods will serveto hold the member 35 vertically positioned at all times and the chain 37 with which said rods are connected may also serve as a main draft chain to which a team of horses may be hitched for moving the machine over the surface ofthe ground-to be -graded or leveled. The angle of the grading element may be adjusted more evenly and to better advantage by the use of a chain, as at 37, than otherwise and longer rods may be used for connection with the chain when it is desired to position the member 35 transversely, or nearly so, of the machine, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2.

The depth of the cut to :be made by the member35 is adaptedto be regulated by foot pressure by means of a pair of parallel bars 42 and 43 attached pivotally .to the upper side of said member, connected together at their rear ends by. means of a transverse member 44 and having .a-fulcrumon the adjusting the ends of said member to the depth of the cut made by member 35.

edge of transverse member 6 of the machine frame. When the o aerating angle of member 35 is established, the member 44 is held at right angles to the runners l and 2 by members 42 and 43, a plurality of bolt holes 45 being provided for this purpose, and it I will be obvious that when the rear ends of members 42, 43 are depressed by foot pressure on member 44, the member 35 will be correspondingly elevated.

Member 35 may be depressed with sufficient pressure and effort by means of a lever 46 resting upon the upper edge thereof at a point intermediate its ends and having its front end hinged at 47 to front member 7 of the frame and its rear end extending rearwardly over member 6. Thus the depression of lever 46 will depress and regulate the Now, in operation, as the machine is moved over the surface of a road, for instance with the grading element 35 in the position shown in Fig. 2, in full lines, the runners 1 and 8 will be elevated as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. and the earth cut by member 35 will be deflected by member 26 and discharged from between the runners 1 and 2 toward the inside of the road for filling the depressions and making the surface of the road uniform, the runners 1 and 2 and members 4, 5 and 6 being suitably connected by means of angle plates for this purpose. The dirt so removed may be either dischargedtoward the center or toward the side of the road, as desired, depending upon the requirements and the direction in which the machine is moved. Usually only one side of the machine will be elevated at one operation, but when it is desired both sides may'ibe similarly elevated to a like extent by means of levers 17 and 23.

Our machine may be also used as a field leveler or grader with equal results. As a leveler for field use only, the member 35 may be removed and the member 26 used in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, where a rigidly held leveling member will suffice. But in the event such will not suffice, then the same results may be accomplished with the floating leveler 35 held in the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2.

In the latter case it will be desirable to elevate both pairs of runners, so that the dirt will be discharged at both sides of the machine. It will be also understood that the machine will serve as a drag and stones and the like will be also removed from the road or field thereby with satisfactory results.

It will be understood that we have shown only one preferred form of structure and details of our machine, and we do not desire to limit ourselves to any specific structure or form of device, for we may substantially modify the same without departing from lib the spirit or enlarging the scope of our invention, except as we may be limited .by the apggnded claims.

hat we claim is:

1. A grading and leveling machine having parallel supporting runners, transverse members hingedly connected thereto, and auxiliary runners extended from the rear said supporting runners, and manually operable means connected with the inner ends of said auxiliary members, whereby said auxiliary members may be tilted, for the purpose ,de-

scribed.

2. A grading and leveling machine having mam supporting runners, straight auxiliary runners pivoted to, and extended from, the rear ends of sald supporting runners, a

frame for connecting said supporting runners, and manually controlled means mounted onsaid auxiliary runners for elevating the inner ends of said auxiliary runners, for the purpose described.

3. A grading and leveling machine comprising a pair of hingedly connected runners, and normally alined runners on each side of the machine for contact with the ground, a frame connecting the forward runners, a combined. leveler and deflector supported by the said runners, and detach ably connected at its ends thereto, said member having a major and minor portion adapted to be supported inalinement, and in a diagonal plane for use as a deflector, said minor portion being capable of removal from the majorportion, and said ing " W contactwith the major portion being attached transversely of the runners in such case, for providing a leveler. i Y

, 4. A grading and leveling machine comprising a stationary leveling element and a floating gradingelement' forward of said leveling element, both of said elements being adjustable as to their operating angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine and means for supporting said leadelement transversely and diagonally relative to the machine for diflerent uses.

,5. A grading and leveling machine comprising a frame, having runners thereon for ground, a member supported on said runnersin a diagonal plane, for providing a deflector and capable of attachment in a transverse plane for providing a leveler, detachable means for support- 111g said deflector and leveler in diagonal I and transverse planes, and a'floating levelners, a combined leveler and leveling and deflecting element adjustably' supported 011 said frame between said runners, for the purpose described.

6. A grading and leveling machine having side runners with pivoted extensions there on, a pair of independently adjustable leveling and grading elements mounted therebetween, means for regulating the cutting depth of one of said elements, and means for discharging the dirt from beneath said runners at the rear.

7. A grading and leveling machine having side runners arranged for and capable of being elevated at their rear ends for discharging the dirt, rearwardly extended auxiliary runners hinged thereon, a stationary member diagonally disposed between said runners at the rear endand capable of adjustment to a relatively transverse position for deflecting the dirt from between said runners, and an adjustable grading member forward of said deflecting member, as set forth.

8. A grading and leveling machine including a frame having side runners there on, a floating grading member, adjustably supported in the front ofsaid frame, rearwardly extending bars attached to said member and overlying said frame, whereby said bars may be depressed at their rear ends for elevating said member at purpose described.

9. Agrading and leveling machine comprising side runners for supporting the grading mechanism, auxiliary otally connected at the rear thereof for elevating the rear ends of said supporting rundeflector stationarily held at the rear end of the machine, a combined grader and leveler supported solely upon the ground to be graded and having a common draft connection with the grading machine and adjustable for regulating the depth of the cut to be made thereby, and further operated bars having a fulcrum on thejframe and adapted to regulate the cutting depth thereof.

Signed at Los Angeles, LosAngeles and State of California.

, JAMES D. LYTTLE.

Signed at Grangeville, in the county of Idaho and State of Idaho, this 2 day of J an., 1920.

i I SOLOMON CLARK. In presence of-- M. .Rnnsn HATroBAUsH, A. W. TALKINGTON.

runners piv in the county of will, for the: 

